South Africa's 2021/2020 maize output up 5% from last season

JOHANNESBURG- South African farmers are expected to harvest 5% more maize in the 2020/2021 season compared with the previous season as favourable weather conditions boosted yields, the government's Crop Estimates Committee (CEC) said on Thursday.

The CEC, giving its third production estimate for the season, forecast the 2021 harvest at 16.095 million tonnes, up from the 15.300 million tonnes harvested last season.

The harvest is expected to consist of 8.934 million tonnes of white maize, used for human consumption, and 7.162 million tonnes of yellow maize, used mainly in animal feed, the CEC said.

The government's estimate is slightly lower than a Reuters poll of five traders and analysts that pegged the total maize output at 16.349 million tonnes.

(Reporting by Akhona Matshoba Editing by Tanisha Heiberg) ((Tanisha.Heiberg@thomsonreuters.com; +27117753034; Reuters Messaging: tanisha.heiberg.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))